Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg PA was once the busiest section of the Cumberland Valley Railroad. The CVRR eventually ran from Harrisburg to Winchester VA and was controlled from the mid 1800's by the PRR. Early in the 20th century, PRR merged the CV into its corporate structure. Major shops and administrative functions were located in Carlisle and Chambersburg. The Cumberland Valley controlled the economic lifeblood of the Cumberland Valley until the late 1880's. The Ahl Brothers, local iron producers, broke the monopoly by starting their own competing railroad. Although the Ahl's were not successful, the Reading and the Western Maryland soon finished building a competing Cumberland Valley railroute.
West End
Road Warrior 4084 is the star of the show in Mechanicsburg this week .
Boxes dropped by 4084 moments before at one of the Fry
Communication facilities, a big printing concern in Mechanicsburg. These boxes are often from a New England or Canadian road .
This curving and steep tressle serves another Fry facility. On another night, I watched as a GP 38-2 and a GP 40-2 backed about 15 box cars up this tressle. The roar reminded me of Sandpatch or Cranberry!
Another view on the low tressle.
Dillsburg Branch- the Dillsburg & Mechanicsburg Railroad
I met Mr. Thomas at a trainshow at Steelton on March14,2004. His pass for the Dillsburg and Mechanicsburg is at the top of this page. The back of the pass contains facts about the D&M RR
While at the west end of Mechanicsburg, stop by to see the Dillsburg & Mechanicsburg station on Trindle Road. This railroad was financed and eventually owned by the Cumberland Valley. The purpose was to serve the ore fields south of Dillsburg, York County. Somewhat in character for the independent-minded Cumberland Valley (for years they had a monopoly),the Dillsburg line ended in Dillsburg, not at the ore banks and the iron ore had to be hauled by mule train to the terminal for several years. The Cumberland Valley also ran passenger service on what they termed the Dillsburg branch. At the end the service was by a electric car. Notice the large insulators on the station for this reason. These days the rails are long gone, my guess is about when Conrail was formed. I had trouble figuring out where this branch crossed over the turnpike until a local informed me that it went under the turnpike. The station was donated to the KMRHS. Members on this Monday evening are working on the HO layout that takes up the entire building.
Near Trindle Spring Roger Jumper recalls that at the end about two trains a week traveled down the line. Roger is standing in the right of way. A lady who lives beside the line on Eppley Road calculates the trains stopped running in 1972.
The Dillsburg Branch passed through lush farmland on Lisburn Road. Note that South Mountain (the Blue Ridge) seemingly slopes to an end in the distance at Dillsburg, the source of sizable iron ore deposits. Actually remnants of the Blue Ridge continue across the Susquehanna. The flanks of these hills also contained major ore deposits, such as found at Cornwall, Pa.
From http://kc.pennsyrr.com/photos/index.html. Caption states that the railroad's steam shovel is digging iron ore near Dillsburg.
In Town
Small passenger station at Washington Street is well maintained.
The main Mechanicsburg station is now the borough hall. 4084 is heading back to Shiremanstown on this late eveing. Also still standing in the area is the freight depot.
East End of Mechanicsburg-NAVICP
Naval Inventory Control Point has a separate line from one direction and this diamond connection at the other end. DODX boxcars are sturdily built and well kept.
NAVICP has two locomotives. Jay Reed writes: They are both GE 80ton's. Both were built in 1953, during the Korean
War.
Jay's The Comprehensive Guide to Industrial Locomotives site-use Back to return here
NAVICP caboose from a couple years back.
A History of the Naval Inventory Control Point
On October 2, 1995, the Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) was established with the merging of the former Aviation Supply Office (ASO) in Philadelphia and Ships Parts Control Center (SPCC) in Mechanicsburg. The purpose of this merger was to bring together all of the Navy's Program Support Inventory Control Point (PSICP) functions under a single command. The move to join the activities together with one Command, two sites was the result of a need to reduce costs and infrastructure as well as to standardize inventory management procedures. With a mission "to provide program and supply support for the weapons systems that keep our Naval forces mission ready," NAVICP's goal is to provide customers with quality products for best value in a timely manner.
Aviation support has a rich history, dating back to 1917 with the establishment of the Naval Aircraft Factory at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In order to support the expanding and complex Naval air system, ASO was founded on October 1, 1941 with 200 civilian employees and 14 officers at the Naval Aircraft Factory in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In December 1942, ASO was given its own home within the Naval Aviation Supply Depot. By the end of 1945, the Depot boasted 5,332 civilians, 507 officers, and 676 enlisted personnel. There are now 1,500 civilians employed at the Philadelphia site. The Philadelphia site primarily focuses on aviation and weapon system support. Among the aircraft supported are the F/A-18 and the V-22 as well as various engines, common avionics, and support equipment.
The history of SPCC dates back to 1944 when the Naval Supply Depot, Mechanicsburg, was directed to form a master control for ships' parts. In July 1945, SPCC was established as the single worldwide manager for ships parts, i.e. the mechanical components that are put together to make a ship and its engines. The official commissioning of SPCC took place on July 24, 1953. Submarine and reactor support moved to SPCC in the 1960's and were consolidated by 1985. As a result of these and other mergers, by the 1980's ASO and SPCC became the two remaining inventory control points providing logistics support to the Navy Fleet. Support for hull, electrical, mechanical, and electronic components and repair parts for ships, submarines, and weapon systems are among the duties performed by the Mechanicsburg personnel. There are 2,000 civilians employed at the Mechanicsburg site.
Between Mechanicsburg and Shiremanstown
Between Mechanicsburg and Shiremanstown 4084 is switching the Quaker Oats facility on another midday. The local has pulled ahead and is now backing into the Quaker facility. All the while a traffic jam is forming on Railroad Street. The local crew snags some empties and pulls out with amazing speed. In about 5 minutes the crossing is clear.
More Cumberland Valley Railroad-Shiremanstown to Mechanicsburg
Cumberland Valley Railroad Directory
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